Trekking Through the Galaxy
by Ink Spotz
Summary: Peter Quill is imprisoned in a strange prison alone. He is rescued by James Kirk and his crew. However, what had once started out as a friendly alliance soon turns into a startling revelation - one that will turn both of their worlds upside down. {Part One of the "Infinity and Beyond" series}.
1. Chapter 1: An Unlikely Alliance

**AN: I had to classify this crossover as a "Star Trek"/"Avengers" crossover for now since there is no "Guardians of the Galaxy" category. It may change locations later if the "Guardians of the Galaxy" section becomes available.**

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Chapter One

Peter Quill leaned up against the wall of the prison he was now seated in. He watched with mild amusement as the other inmate with him was carving out crude markings in the slimy wall with a shattered stalactite from off the ground; making a gritty noise echo through the air like nails on a chalkboard. Peter cast his eyes towards the ceiling, where the slime seemed to be gathering on the stalactites.

"Getting any further on scratching a hole out of here?" asked Peter; his eyes still focused on the slime pooling above them.

A growl echoed in front of him, and turning his gaze back to look at the prisoner in front of him, he saw that the prisoner was now glaring back at him. The prisoner began to speak in an alien language that Peter didn't know, obviously trying to tell him off. Obviously this creature wasn't from his sector of the galaxy.

 _"Yep,"_ Peter thought. _"I've definitely ventured far from the borders of home on this one."_

"I..." said Peter after the queer looking prisoner had stopped uttering foreign growls at him, "Don't understand you..."

Peter talked slowly as if that would be a solution to the language barrier between them. Seeing that the person in front of him only seemed to glare even more at him, he held up his hands in surrender.

"As long as you..." Peter said pointing a finger at the prisoner, "Don't eat me..." He pointed back at his chest, "We're good."

The prisoner grumbled again, turning away to focus back on the carvings as if they were of some significance.

Sighing, Peter moved to look about him again. The cell that he found himself in now was relatively small, especially with the two of them in it. The entrance to the cell was a sheet made of some sort of thick, glass-like material. It had a series of tiny holes at the top to allow a minimal amount of air to circulate through the cell. The sheet itself seemed to be fogged up by layers of grime. Once in a while, Peter thought he could see a guard of some sort walking past, but it was hard to tell. The rest of the cell itself was composed of jagged rocky walls, and a gravely dirt floor. No doubt the prison was built into the heart of whatever planet he was now tracked on.

The mission, of course, had gone horribly wrong. What started out as something that he was suppose to use to impress Gamora had ended up with himself being taken prisoner while the rest of his Guardian crew was who knew where. The last he had seen of any of them was when they had been surrounded by a legion of oddly suited soldiers, prodding them in the back with some sort of golden spear-like weapon as if they were cattle. He had lost consciousness slowly after due to him trying to break free. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in this prison next to Mister Sunshine.

 _SCRATCH - - - SCRATCH - - -_

"Oh for the love of Pete!" He groaned, using his arms to box off his ears. Whoever this prisoner was didn't seem to have any brain cells whatsoever.

As he sat with his arms blocking his ears, he looked through the sheet to see what appeared to be a guard leading a prisoner past the cell. He assumed it was a prisoner due to the fact that he was being prodded roughly along. The prisoner wasn't stumbling forward though; instead he was keeping his back ramrod straight like someone of royalty. Peter smirked, letting out a low whistle as he stood up to walk over to the sheet door.

A growl came from the prisoner that was housed with Peter as he walked past him to try to get a closer look at the prisoner before he walked past.

"Hey, cool your jets..." said Peter, half-glaring at the prisoner before looking back at the one that held his interest outside the cell.

It was then that he saw the prisoner do something successfully that he had failed to do himself. Break free. The prisoner swung an elbow back with lightning speed, knocking the guard behind him off balance. With the one guard on the right off balance, a punch was delivered to the guard on the left. A growl left the guard, but not before the prisoner had grabbed up one of their spear weapons and swung it to knock him upside the head. The guard fell silent as he collapsed onto the ground. The remaining guard that the prisoner had elbowed in the first place glared at the prisoner, but didn't make a move since the prisoner swung the rod around again to knock the other person out. Peter watched as the prisoner reached up to tap his ear before he started to speak.

"Tell the Captain I've successfully broken free. I need to know the coordinates of where the device is located."

The prisoner began to walk back Peter's way, and Peter knew that he had to think of something quick. This prisoner might be his only chance of getting out of here seeing as how his crew was no where in sight, and might be in trouble themselves.

"Hey!" said Peter, pounding the flat of his hand against the sheet a bit. "Hey, I can help you out."

The prisoner stopped then, turning to look at Peter. Now Peter got a better look at the prisoner. His black hair was slicked back, neatly formed around his pointed ears. His eyes seemed to narrow in and focus on Peter as if he were an interesting specimen like the cellmate behind him.

"And what reason should there be for me believing a stranger?"

"Whoa, tough words right out of the gate there," said Peter; his mind seeming to work a million miles a minute to try to think of a way to smooth talk this guy into understanding. "I can help you locate the device. I have experience in locating things."

"Given the fact that you are housed in this prisoner with a Klingon, and I have not met you before this, I find it hard to believe that you will do as you're saying. It's proven that prisoners are willing to barter anything to get out of a cell."

"You surely must have heard of me though. I'm Star-Lord. And...um...what's a Klingon?"

"I don't have time to socialize with you when I have a mission given to me by my Captain."

The prisoner started to move away from him, and internally Peter began to curse. He couldn't let his one chance of freedom slip away.

"I know I might be a stranger to you, but do you think I'd be stupid enough to cross you after seeing what you just did to those two guards?"

The prisoner stopped, turning back to look at Peter. Before he could say anything though, he was reaching up to tap his ear again having obviously received some sort of message.

"Tell the Captain I'm on my way to the coordinates given. Be prepared to beam me up at the coordinates that were proposed during the conception of this plan."

The prisoner started to move away again, and Peter tried one last ditch effort to free himself.

"Look, how about we strike a deal? If you free me, I promise that I'll help you get the device you need, and let you be on your merry way. You don't even have to take me off this planet with you."

"I've already told you that I can't believe a word that comes out of your mouth due to the fact that you are - "

"A mere stranger. Yeah, I know pointy."

The prisoner stared at him queerly for a moment before taking a step closer to the cell. For half a second Peter thought that he had offended the prisoner enough that he'd come back just to harm him. At least he had, what the prisoner had said, a Klingon prison mate. Maybe if this prisoner tried to harm him, the Klingon would stick up for him. Fat chance at that though. As the prisoner stood in front of him again, he could see that he was being scanned from head-to-toe as if he were some specimen in a lab.

"What's your name?" asked the prisoner.

"Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord." He couldn't ever let people forget that part of his name.

"Peter will work fine," said the prisoner as he suddenly began to finger the pad beside the door. The sheet dividing them was soon risen and before Peter could even make a move, the prisoner was shoving the spear like weapon against his neck.

"I will allow you to come with me, but if you so much as dare to cross me, it will cost you your life."

"Yes, yes! Got it!"

The prisoner quickly yanked Peter out of the cell before putting the dividing sheet back down to keep the Klingon inside. Having been yanked quickly from the cell, Peter found himself sprawled on his stomach on the dirty prison floor. He coughed a bit as he sat up, trying to dust the grime off him. Sitting up, he looked at the man that was towering near him. Standing up slowly, Peter looked him over from head-to-toe.

"Who am I assisting?" He asked as the man turned aside to begin walking down the hallway. Not getting an answer, Peter followed quickly after the man. "Do I assume I just keep calling you variations of pointy?"

The man pulled up short then, glaring at Peter with an unsettling amount of calm in his eyes.

"My name is Spock. Now do not jeopardize this mission any more than you already have, understood?"

He did a small salute towards Spock which only caused him to roll his eyes, and begin walking again. As they walked, he noticed some fallen stalactites on the ground. Not wanting to be caught weaponless if it came down to a fight, he bent down to pick one up. Better to be prepared. He kept the sharp stalactite by his side as he followed Spock down the hallway to a destination unknown. He had no idea what he had said that had caused Spock to change his mind, but that was something he was bound and determined to find out sooner or later.


	2. Chapter 2: Butting Heads

Chapter Two

Peter followed Spock down several labyrinth like passageways, feeling as if the two of them were going in circles. He could feel the hand holding the shattered piece of stalactite start to freeze a bit. Wherever they were going, they'd better get going there fast. This part of the prison seemed to be far colder than the rest.

"I do hope you know where you're going. You seem lost," commented Peter.

"I am not lost," said Spock, stopping short then to consult his ear piece again. It was obvious to Peter that whoever was on the other end of the transmission was giving him the directions.

Peter looked about him. Perhaps he ought to give Spock the benefit of the doubt. As his eyes scanned the passage, he noticed the uniquely decorated skull that sat in the hole of the wall; two black holes staring back at him from where the eyes were suppose to be. He walked over to it, looking it over.

"Well, unless you're trying to throw someone off our trail, you are lost. We've been going in circles." Peter pointed at the skull he was now standing in front of. "If this dude here could talk, he'd tell us so himself."

Spock turned to look Peter's way again, quickly stalking over to his side.

"It's highly disrespectful to assume that you understand another race's culture..."

"How did I do that?" asked Peter baffled. He gestured at the skull in the wall, "All I did was say that if this skull could talk that it would tell you that you were lost."

"Exactly. In saying that, you have disrespected the culture of that race."

"Well _sorry,"_ He said, giving a mock bow to the skull.

"Stop with your utter show of barbarism," said Spock, reaching forward to grab Peter by the shoulder and yank him into an upright position. "We have a mission to accomplish for..."

"Your captain. I know. You've only told me like a trillion times. You're just as bad as Groot. At least your vocabulary isn't limited though."

Spock assumed a straight posture as he stood alongside Peter, as if he were a child about to reprimand his son.

"I released you under the assumption that you would help me get the device that my captain asked for..."

"And I would help, but I've only been allowed to play follow the leader!"

Spock turned aside then, moving a hand up to touch his ear piece again.

"I _am_ at the head of the tunnel," said Spock into the ear piece. "There is no way out."

Peter smirked at Spock admitting to the disembodied voice that he was lost instead of to him. He replayed that glory moment of Spock admitting to being lost when something clicked in his mind. Did Spock say "head"? Peter moved to look at the skull more closely, noticing that there was an almost undetectable crack circling the top of the skull. Not paying attention to Spock, he moved to lift the skull cap to reveal a button hidden there. Reaching a hand forward, he pressed down on the button.

"What did I say about not disrespecting another's culture?" asked Spock then as Peter said back at him, "It's the way out!"

Peter could feel the slight vibration underneath his feet, and let his senses take over from there. He charged at Spock, bringing him down to the ground as a few stalactites fell from the ceiling above them. By the time the rumbling had stopped, Peter lifted his head to see that a new passage had been opened before them. Peter sat up with a smug smile of sorts on his face, dusting the grime off him.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Spock as he sat up slowly, moving to stand up.

"Done what? Save your life or touched the skull?"

"Just...stop," said Spock.

"Fine," said Peter with a roll of his eyes, holding up both hands in defense. "Just trying to help."

Picking up the stalactite that he had been carrying around to defend himself, he moved towards the entrance that had just opened before them both.

"From past experience with suddenly appearing tunnels, I'd suggest we make quick work of escaping down it before something bad comes out of it."

Spock touched his ear piece as he brushed past Peter, leaving Peter to stand at the entrance looking offended as he watched Spock retreat down it.

"Someone has manners," Peter muttered as he moved to follow after Spock.

The tunnel that they now seemed to find themselves in was much darker than the circular passage they had just escaped out of. Peter found himself losing sight of Spock in the gloom. This made no sense to Peter. Usually a hidden passage eventually grew lighter, not darker. Unless...

He quickly stepped forward, grabbing Spock by the shoulder and dragging him off to the side.

"What are you doing?" asked Spock. "You're stalling the mission yet agai-"

Spock was cut off as Peter slapped his free hand over Spock's mouth to silence him.

"We're about to be ambushed," whispered Peter. He knew well enough from his own ventures when an ambush was coming.

For once, Spock seemed to listen to him. It probably had something to do with the sound of footsteps that seemed to now be echoing through the air. Peter found himself glad that he had tried to pick up some sort of weapon. It was definitely needed.

Swinging an arm behind him, Peter made contact with the guard that had rushed up behind the two of them in the dark. He could hear the squish as the stalactite dug into the guard's skin. Peter used the force of his arm to cause the guard to fall before preparing himself for the next guard. By this point, Spock had also moved into position to start trying to fend them off.

As the guards fell around Spock and him, Peter noticed that the attackers had some sort of glasses on. He bent down to snatch one off of their faces, placing it on his face. It immediately lit up the tunnel around him.

"Sweet! They have night vision!"

He bent to snatch another pair off a guard, throwing one towards Spock. Spock caught it expertly in his hands and placed it upon his own face. Now that they both could see clearly, they were able to better ward off the guards that came to attack them. Within a matter of minutes, they had all be disposed of in some form.

"Well, that was fun," said Peter, huffing a bit in an attempt to catch his voice once more.

"I worry about your definition of 'fun'," remarked Spock, who was also breathing heavily himself.

Peter rolled his eyes once more as Spock reached up to touch the ear piece.

"I'm told that it's right ahead," said Spock as he began to move further up the tunnel.

"So," said Peter falling into step once more behind Spock. "What does this device you're looking for look like?"

"You'll know it when you see it," remarked Spock.

"You're very helpful, you know that?" asked Peter sarcastically, running into the back of Spock as Spock pulled to a sudden stop.

Wondering why Spock had stopped all of a sudden, he collected himself and pulled back, looking past Spock. Having been used to using the night vision glasses for a small period of time now, it took him a second to realize that the room in front of them was well lit. Reaching up to take the glasses off in order to see better, he noticed that at the opposite end of the room, raised on a silver pedestal of some sort was what appeared to be some sort of phaser.

"What is it with people displaying their treasures out in the open like this? It's just asking to be taken."

Peter was about to step past Spock when Spock stuck his arm out to the side to stop Peter.

"Stop, this could be a trap."

"Never know if we don't try, now will we?"

Peter gave Spock a wily grin before turning back to face the room. He noticed that the gargoyle decorations adorning the walls jutted out just enough, and at just the right angle, to act like a sort of stairs up into the air.

"I heard you mentioning beaming out. How good is that technology of yours?"

"It's the best in the galaxy, but you won't be able to be beamed anywhere if this room is..."

"Stop being such a downer."

"I'm being realistic," said Spock.

Peter ignored Spock, focused now on what he had to do.

"If the room does get triggered upon my entering it, be prepared to have us both beamed out. Understood?"

"What are you planning to do exactly?" asked Spock.

"You'll know when you see it," said Peter with a chuckle before launching himself into the room.

Barreling towards the wall where the gargoyles were, he tried jumping up them. Once he had his footing on the one close to the bottom, it was just a matter of taking large bounds up the remainder. By the time he reached the last gargoyle at the top, Spock seemed to be a mere speck below him. Gazing downwards, Peter could see that the phaser was directly below him. Of course it was a good thirty feet below him at that. Luckily though, he had yet to set any of the traps off.

"Get ready to beam us out," he called to Spock. If Spock failed to do this, Peter was about to be in for a world of pain once he made contact with the rocky ground below him.

Taking a deep breath, he threw himself off his perch towards the ground below. His body picked up speed rapidly, and as he neared the phaser, he could see a light of some sort begin to encircle him. He reached out a hand for the phaser, having grabbed it in his hand mere moments before the cavern disappeared around him. With a thump, he landed hard on his side on a circular platform of some sort. The breath was knocked out of him; his outstretched arm dropping the phaser he had just grabbed. As he laid on his side in momentary pain, he noticed Spock come to stand in front of him.

"You guys never thought of investing in cushions for your pad?" asked Peter, squinting up at Spock.

"What you have done was idiotic. Do you realize that you could have killed yourself?"

"No risk, no reward," said Peter, groaning slightly. He closed his eyes. "Now stop talking for a minute. There are two of you, and I don't know which one to talk to."

Peter heard footsteps echo through the air then. By the time he opened his eyes again, he noticed that someone else was standing beside Spock. This man was dressed in a bright yellow shirt with some kind of ensignia pin pinned to it. Two bright blue eyes stared down at Peter in mild confusion.

"Spock, who is this?"

Peter turned his gaze to see that Spock was looking from Peter to the man.

"Captain, this is the man that helped me to get the device you asked for. Meet Peter Quill."

"Star-Lord, actually," muttered out Peter with a slight smile.

The Captain got a small smile of his own on his face, extending a hand down towards Peter to help him up. Peter took the offered hand and rose to his feet.

"Captain James Kirk," he said in greeting to Peter as he stood. James soon turned his gaze back to Spock as he added, "Spock, take him to medical to have him checked out, and then meet me on the bridge."

"Yes, Captain," said Spock with a slight incline of his head.

Peter watched as James Kirk walked off; the doors swooshing open to allow him to exit before swooshing closed behind him. As soon as Kirk was gone, Peter collapsed back onto the ground.

"Captain has nice hair," said Peter sarcastically from his spot on the ground, having noticed that the wind generated by the swishing of the doors hadn't moved it at all. "I'll have to ask him what he's using for hair care products."

"Stand on your feet, Peter."

"Star-Lord..."

"I'm not calling you that, so it'd be wise if you stopped entertaining such delusional fantasies."

"Well, I'm never going to stop trying so..."

Spock bent down, yanking Peter up so hard by the arm that he kind of staggered as he regained his footing.

"We're heading to the medical bay. No more conversations."

"Aye, aye Captain Grouch," said Peter with a smirk.

Peter noticed, as Spock gruffly led him out by the arm like he was a child about to go to time-out, that the man seated behind the controls of the beaming device was trying to hide a giggle.

 _"Well,"_ thought Peter as he was led away. _"At least_ someone _thinks I'm funny."_


End file.
